RT Article
T1 Losing Mood(s): Examining Jihadi Supporters’ Responses to ISIS’ Territorial Decline
JF Terrorism and political violence
VO 34
IS 4
SP 725
OP 745
A1 Massé, Léa Eveline Jeanne Stéphanie
LA English
YR 2022
UL https://krimdok.uni-tuebingen.de/Record/1806080168
AB The fall of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has raised a number of questions over the future of the organization and the potential threat it might continue to pose. While some commenters argue that the demise of the Caliphate will reduce ISIS’s global appeal, others have stressed the role that jihadi supporters may play in perpetuating ISIS’s ideological legacy. Yet, little is known on how supporters have responded to recent changes in circumstances. Employing a cognitive dissonance approach, this contribution examines the implications of ISIS’s defeat on twelve jihadi supporters’ commitment. It shows that while a minority of supporters have disengaged, the majority have remained committed to the group. While these differences stress the influence of personal situational factors on supporters’ responses, the data at the same time indicates that dissonance has preceded in some cases ISIS’s defeat. The contribution overall shows that integrating cognitive dissonance theory to the study of radicalization and terrorism can provide a more nuanced understanding of how individuals renegotiate the nature of their involvement in extremism when confronted by changes in circumstances.
K1 Disengagement
K1 dissonance reduction
K1 Cognitive Dissonance
K1 global jihadism
K1 Islamic State
DO 10.1080/09546553.2020.1733989